NCC’s community-based services include Early Learning Centers, Schools, Transition Services, Adult Vocation Services and Residential programs. These personalized services have benefited thousands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing educational development and life skills that have lead to empowerment, employment and independent living.

NCC partners with the people that we serve, their families and others in the community, to work toward a clear vision for the future. We believe that people with developmental disabilities should have every resource necessary to live, learn, work, grow and thrive in their community – which fully embraces them as valued and contributing members of society.

National Children’s Center, Inc. (NCC) was founded in 1957 by Hyman S. Paper and a small group of local citizens who were concerned about the lack of community-based services for children with special needs and their families. The organization was incorporated in the District of Columbia on May 14, 1958, and shortly thereafter, children from the local community were enrolled into our first summer camp, residential and school programs.

NCC serves hundreds of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities—including people who have cerebral palsy, autism, and Down’s syndrome through early childhood education and early intervention, school programs, community residences and supports, day services and supports to include individualized day supports, work readiness training, supported employment, and vocational training. NCC supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live, grow and thrive in their community, which fully includes and embraces them as valued and contributing members.

Each day, hundreds of children and adults with developmental disabilities, from ages 8 weeks through to 70+ years, receive the services they require in order to live, grow and thrive in their community.

Consistent with our founder’s vision, our mission is:

To provide a lifetime of opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In doing so, we pride ourselves on our staff of highly qualified professionals. Teachers, counselors, psychologists, physical and occupational therapists, employment specialists, social workers, speech pathologists, direct care professionals, recreation specialists, nutritionists, physicians and nurses work together as a team to provide holistic services to our special needs people. Psychiatrists, neurologists and other medical specialists are consulted as needed. Clients in all program areas are evaluated on a regular basis to assess needs and measure progress. All NCC programs are fully licensed and certified.

Members of our Board of Directors are listed on the Leadership page of this website. They provide the corporate governance of National Children’s Center, Inc. Our senior management team provides leadership for the day-to-day operations of NCC, which employs more than 450 staff and operates from an annual budget of $28 million.